In the video, a black axe headed towards Traveler’s shield.
The glancing axe blade forcibly pulled the shield towards it, and in that moment, Cerberus’s hand grasped the shield.
A struggle of strength amidst the deadlock. In that time, the merciless axe repeatedly collided with Traveler’s lance.
The health bar wasn’t depleting.
But, correspondingly, cracks were forming in the precious guard gauge.
‘Here the difference emerged…’
The playback speed of the video was slightly increased.
Due to the exchanges appearing stagnant at a glance.
Subtle skills would interject amidst the heavy attacks.
Attacks that absolutely had to be blocked. And others so minor that ignoring them was an option.
The critical part was that the brief delay was exploiting the game system thoroughly.
Cerberus’s primary class was a Dark Knight.
Contrary to the Paladin, which has strong defensive tendencies, it was a class with debuffs and magic damage gimmicks added.
It wasn’t a class defined by agility, so the attacks didn’t seem very fast at a glance.
Compared to Assassins or Warriors, they were much slower.
Yet, Traveler felt no breathing room at all in combat.
This was due to the precarious timing Cerberus maintained.
“There’s no time to reset your stance, Traveler.”
“If only I could create some distance, but it seems Cerberus won’t allow it, huh?”
“What makes Cerberus truly terrifying is the manipulation of advantageous combat set-ups. Can that large knight move so delicately like a war machine?”
“Oh, it’s hard. Even by squeezing every second, there’s no way to restore the guard gauge. The damage keeps accumulating!”
The battle hadn’t concluded yet.
Thus, the consumed guard gauge, mana, and health would never return.
Traveler never fully recovered the lost guard until the game’s end.
An attack openly demanding the depletion of the guard.
Either comply with the war of attrition or slowly wither away from the Dark Knight’s debuffs.
A thoroughly calculated either/or hell kept stretching out its claws.
Perhaps, once Luche’s skills are fully refined, she may play like this?
“I was deeply moved by the interview. I observed it well. Dreams, huh… more romantic than I thought.”
“Wow, what an honor!”
“I’m sorry. That was not intended as a dig.”
That said, Cerberus’s pure combat power wasn’t low either.
Accurate distance management to stay advantageous.
Knowing exactly how he appears to the opponent, the attacks would come in the most challenging trajectory.
Skills deployed in such a way that it felt like being assaulted by two people.
Traveler seemed determined, delivering several effective counterattacks.
But honestly, the weight class difference was evident.
Even though there were moments where Traveler greatly diminished Cerberus’s health, it never brought a sense of relief.
“I truly believed your story was beautiful. To surpass me someday — ambition like that is the hallmark of a professional.”
“Hah! You going to lose on purpose then?”
“Unlikely. The beautiful and the realistic are different.”
Eventually, the spear knight crumbling under the prolonged attrition.
The shattered shield clattered to the ground, and his arm was attacked, preventing him from holding his spear.
Even his attempt to draw his secondary weapon was quickly stopped.
“Does dreaming always come true?”
“Not at all.”
“You seem to know well.”
The moment Traveler’s journey ended.
—
Today, the sky was overcast with clouds.
Seemed like rain was imminent, yet the sky appeared reluctant, with only a hollow breeze stirring.
I sat there with a dazed expression, staring out the window.
The creeping humidity. The sticky air made my mood feel damp and heavy.
Still, the scenery had a peculiar attraction. I just sat there, lost in thought.
Thinking about it, lately, there had been much to celebrate.
I was participating in the tournament I had long awaited, and I even appeared on a broadcast, albeit indirectly.
‘Shared a meal and received a gift from Luche too.’
After Traveler’s 2:0 defeat.
The domestic community was in a state of heightened anxiety.
While awaiting Luche’s match, there were different viewpoints.
The reassurance faction believed we were doing well. The despair faction thought it was doomed.
And there was the hope faction, albeit a small group, who believed Luche could defeat Cerberus and take the crown.
Sadly, the despair faction seemed dominant.
The international results Korea had shown recently weren’t encouraging.
Moreover, Luche was known more for her team-oriented play rather than her solo performances.
In the midst of pervasive despair, Luche upheld the meaning of her nickname.
Luche (Luce). In Italian, it means “light,” and when expanded to biblical significance, it symbolizes bright futures and hope.
Her decisive moment was akin to a holy sword cleaving through the fog to settle the match.
– Luche triumphs 2:1 over Reaper in a bloody battle!
– Sigma eSports: “Spared no team support for this day”
– Contrasting emotions: Summary of Arena Round of 16 results
The Arena finals had arrived. The semi-finalists were all set.
Cerberus and Luche. Me and Crow.
With only a day’s rest, a grueling schedule awaited after the semi-finals.
The fortunate thing was that I already knew Luche thoroughly.
However, an unforeseen development caught me off guard.
“Seriously, was Drake, the player that is so overwhelmingly dominated, someone expected?”
“Shocking results against everyone’s predictions! Nothing to critique from both the preparation and execution during the match.”
“Many probably didn’t expect this result. Though Crow’s promotion was planned, he was a second-division player until now!”
“In fact, though well-known within the second division, the main assessment was that he wouldn’t measure up in the first league. But today, all those predictions shattered!”
In the round of 16, the subsequent game was between a European second-division necromancer and an experienced South American player. Crow completely outplayed him.
Having not had much attention due to previously advantageous matchups and not being from the first division.
Still, his reputation soared instantly after his recent performance.
Now even the online community buzzed with discussions about both him and me.
So, the problem was all about that Crow.
The class of necromancer was quite unconventional, and his limited history as an esports player, having just debuted last year, left sparse data for analysis.
I couldn’t prepare for Cerberus after the semifinals.
And ignoring preparations for Crow also wasn’t an option.
Would I prepare for the finals and then falter in the next match?
That would be too disgraceful.
Anyway, with only a single body, time seemed insufficient, so I needed help.
Right at that moment, the sound of the door-lock code being entered echoed from the entrance.
After five beeping sounds, a familiar man’s face appeared.
“You’ve arrived?”
“Aye. Have you been well?”
“I’m always the same.”
Of course, it was Master.
It was inevitable. What could I do when my social circle was so limited?
I couldn’t even rely on my online friends for assistance.
Elderyl was on vacation after a recent trip, and Soobin was too busy due to the upcoming siege battle.
Contacting Traveler… even for me, it seemed both a little, and rather a lot awkward.
Even if Traveler offered support, wouldn’t they side more with Luche?
After all, that would be more efficient.
I’d meet Cerberus next, not me.
“If I asked for your help, what exactly do you plan to offer?”
“Well… it’s the same thing I told you over the phone. There’s just too much to handle alone with the tournament preparations.”
“Hmm, if it’s something I can do, I’ll help, but is it fine for someone who doesn’t know anything about games?”
“Watching weapons and physical mechanics would suffice. I’ll observe the game part.”
“In that case, we’ll try it.”
My master, despite having an intimidating appearance, was strong at analysis.
A national coach’s position wasn’t earned through physical prowess alone, after all.
Until now, everything I had learned about analyzing opponents came from my Master.
“What’s this that keeps popping out black? Can it be used repeatedly?”
“That’s a skill. See the number 17 written here? That much time is required before it can be used again. It’s blocked now, but here…”
“Complicated. I’ll need to understand this first to analyze.”
“Just give me a moment. I’ll find a well-organized section.”
And as expected, my master quickly adapted.
While he asked occasional questions, I split Crow’s video frame by frame.
Especially focusing on the movement of the eyes.
Where they looked before casting magic.
The cognitive process leading to their decisions needed to be understood.
Which is why mages are a pain, advantageous matchups and all, they’re still bothersome.
While I was tidying up the data bit by bit,
Master stared at me and smiled.
“Your expression has brightened a lot.”
“Eh… really?”
“Yeah, lad. This is the best I’ve seen your expression in a while.”
It would’ve been nice to have a mirror nearby at a moment like this.
But with only the one in the bathroom, there was no way to check my expression immediately.
“And have you eaten? If not, let’s order something.”
“Oh… What would you like? Rice soup? Pork belly? Or perhaps a pork cutlet?”
“Pizza. One with a lot of cheese.”
“Master’s tastes are still rather eccentric…”
“What can I do when all you guys want to eat the same thing every day? Even delivery food needs variety.”
Still, isn’t pizza a bit greasy?
I don’t usually like cheese.
As I thought, I ended up eating the pizza so deliciously that it almost made tears come to my eyes.
